


Personal Dependence

by Anonymous



Series: Deception Trilogy [1]
Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: 2020 L'Manberg Election on Dream Team SMP (Video Blogging RPF), Angst, Bad Parent Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Betrayal, Business Bay (Mentioned) - Freeform, Child Neglect, DadSchlatt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Hybrid Jschlatt (Video Blogging RPF), Hybrid TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Jschlatt Adopts TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Jschlatt Being a Jerk (Video Blogging RPF), Morally Grey Jschlatt (Video Blogging RPF), Morally Grey TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parental Jschlatt (Video Blogging RPF), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Jschlatt (Video Blogging RPF), Reverse - Alternative Universe, Sheep Hybrid Jschlatt (Video Blogging RPF), TommyInnit Angst (Video Blogging RPF), TommyInnit-centric (Video Blogging RPF), Traitor TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Tubbo and TommyInnit Switch Places, Villain Wilbur Soot, Wilbur Soot and Technoblade and TommyInnit are Siblings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-14 07:34:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28791783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: - Sometimes new friends are kinder than the old ones.
Relationships: Jschlatt & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit, Toby Smith | Tubbo & Wilbur Soot, Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & TommyInnit, Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit, shippers dni - Relationship
Series: Deception Trilogy [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2110896
Comments: 41
Kudos: 282
Collections: anonymous





	1. Chapter 1

The Election was the worst thing to happen in TommyInnit’s life so far. When Wilbur came up with the idea to show their power over everyone else by holding an Election, he already felt a bit uneasy about it. It seemed too easy in the blond’s opinion, which turned out to be the right thought, for he was not as surprised as Wilbur was when Quackity announced his political party SWAG2020, also known as “So We Are Gamers” with George as his running mate.

In the beginning, everything was going well for POG2020; they were absolutely victorious during the first debates, Quackity’s running mate did not show up, almost every citizen knew both Wilbur and Tommy on a personal level - which would obviously result into them voting for the two - causing Wilbur and Tommy to relax, that is until something happened during one of the debates, that being a mistake made by the running mate of Wilbur.

Everyone was aware of Tommy and Dream’s rivalry, which never led to anything good for the two sides, however, the conflict that happened between the rivals during one of the debates caused more damage to Tommy rather than Dream. It was a ridiculous thing in Tommy’s opinion - Dream was acting like an asshole, so he obviously had to argue with his statements, resulting in Tommy almost dying from the green man’s sword. Not only was Tommy in danger, but the POG2020 itself was in danger, because Dream warned Wilbur that if Tommy was not out of the position of the Vice President - things would not be pretty. Of course, this enraged Wilbur, and at first Tommy thought they were going to another war with the tyrant of the Server, however, instead of being mad at Dream, Wilbur was mad at Tommy.

Tommy could not say anything as Wilbur was yelling at him for making such an idiotic mistake, and that he should have waited until the Election was over to ensure they won it before starting anymore conflicts. While Wilbur agreed with Tommy on Dream being a complete dickhead, what Wilbur did not agree with were his actions that were purely based on raw emotion. Things quickly escalated into a huge argument between the duo, and that battle was won by Wilbur, him demoting Tommy to a normal citizen in the heat of the moment.

In all honesty, when Tommy was walking to his home, he did not even take Wilbur’s words seriously, laughing it off as something the big man said due to the anger he felt, however, things were not that simple. The day after the argument Tommy obviously went to attend the next debate, having forgotten about what occurred yesterday; he was all hyped up for the event, that is until he approached Wilbur to ask about what they were going to do, noticing Tubbo standing right next to the brunet, a happy grin from ear to ear on his best friend’s face.

Tommy was surprisingly careful with what he said during that conversation, and the answer he had received crushed him. Wilbur made Tubbo his running mate. This caused for the memories of tomorrow to return, and Tommy felt tears form on his icy blue eyes from the realisation that his older brother was not joking about what he had said. For obvious reasons, Tommy could not let Wilbur see him upset about it, but he simply could not hold his tears in, so he did the only thing he could to avoid being judged and laughed at. He ran. The blond ran as fast and as far as he could from the podium, completely disappearing in the depth of the forest near the stage.

He could not believe Wilbur was not joking about his statement during the argument they had the day before, Tommy just thought it was one of those things people did not mean, however, then he remembered - Wilbur was not the man to yell out anything without any actual intent or meaning. Tommy felt stupid for even thinking Wilbur would be acting purely on his emotions like him. And so he cried. Long and loud, completely covered in dirt while lying on the mushy floor of the woods, letting all of his emotions out with each pained scream and each transparent tear that ran down his pale face.

Tommy curled into an embryo pose, smearing his face and clothes against the mud as his screams of anger slowly became quieter and quieter, his previous rage replaced with sadness and agonising regret that caused his chest to tighten. Each tear that rolled down his cheeks was burning his flesh, making him twitch in pain on the ground with quiet whimpers escaping his throbbing throat. He felt weak laying like that in the middle of nowhere, sobbing like a bitch boy, but he could not do anything about it except for embrace the weight of reality crushing him. He would get over it eventually, he is a big man, yet right now he wanted to feel like a small boy, being able to let all of his feelings out.

There were multiple reasons he was upset about what Wilbur had done; Tommy was the one to sacrifice everything he cared about for the nation, Tommy was one of the few to die for the independence of the nation Wilbur has created, Tommy was the one to challenge Dream to a duel for the nation’s freedom, Tommy was the one to protect Wilbur from any danger, and the worst thing was the fact Tubbo accepted the role as the Vice President without any consideration for Tommy’s feelings. Tommy always put his friends before his profit, he knew for a fact he was almost always a selfless idiot, and this is his thanks. He hated being considered useless, especially by his older brother - the man he admired the most- and his best friend - the person who he would sacrifice everything for. Were they always this evil?

The boy did not bother to keep track of the time while he was motionlessly laying there, only occasionally shifting positions when the one he was in became too uncomfortable, or when he saw a bug crawl right near his face. Usually he would let out a terrified screech at the sight of an enormous insect, however, at the current moment it did not bother him. Tommy could not give a flying fuck about anything but the thoughts that kept filling up his head with doubt and hatred. Tommy knew he could have done better, he knew he should have not gotten into that fight with Dream, and even if he did - he should have apologized to Wilbur. Yet he did not. But it’s not like Wilbur tried to make amends with him either.

\- Here you are, Tommy. - The blond boy jumped out of fear at the voice of the familiar masked male, immediately turning his head into the direction of where he heard the tyrant from while pushing himself away from that spot, causing dirt to completely cover his high-knee boots. And there he stood, the sadistic bastard who was obviously smiling behind that mask of his, Tommy could tell. Dream loved to see Tommy suffer, everyone was aware of that, which made the blond want to seem more intimidating for the sake of not letting the man see him at such a weak point.

\- What’re ya’ doin’ here, bitch boy? I thought you were gonna’ attend the debate. - Tommy furrowed his eyebrows in rage at Dream, remembering this same man was one of the reasons he felt this awful. If not for Dream’s bullshit none of this would be happening, and Tommy would still be the Vice President of L’Manberg as well as the running mate of Wilbur. Just the memory of Dream attacking him in the debate room made his blood boil in anger.

\- I just came here to check up on you. I saw you run off, so I decided to follow you, but you did not seem to be really… Up for the talk, so I waited. - The blond man calmly explained while stepping closer towards the trembling boy’s form. Tommy could hear how Dream enjoyed seeing his arch nemesis like this - shaking in dismay over something he was the cause of while proudly smirking like a damn prick that he is, - Tommy, I’m not the cause of what is happening to you right now. - Dream commented, as if reading the blond’s thoughts, resulting in Tommy freezing on his spot from realisation that the man before him knew exactly what he was thinking, and soon his enraged expression shifted into a confused one, as if requesting for an explanation. - You see, Tommy… - Dream continued to speak, - It’s your fault.

\- Wha- Wh-... What? - The boy’s eyes widened at the bastard’s words, tears not taking a while to form as different thoughts began to run through his head all over again, this time slightly more depressing than before. Tommy’s gaze slowly traveled down towards the ground, finding it far more interesting than the plain white mask with a smiley face painted on it. Tommy was blaming everyone, himself included, but was anyone else except for him really at fault? Maybe it was purely his mistake.

Before Tommy could ask the green man a question, or try and defend himself from the accusation, the man was already gone. Tommy glanced around himself in search of his enemy, scanning the area for anything that could help him find Dream, but like before - he could not find anything, or in this case anyone. He was once again left alone, this time with a new trail of thought. It was his fault.

Tommy let his back fall onto the ground with a loud splash, completely ruining his L’Manberg outfit with dirt, which should have made him upset, yet it did not. He simply stared at the Earth’s light blue ceiling, looking up at the grey clouds that began to cover the skies with their glorious selves, signaling that the rain was going to start. However, Tommy did not care, he was too caught up in his depressing thoughts, finding the grey clouds meaningless compared to what happened to him. What could he do anyways? It is not like he could prevent the rain from happening, for it was about to pour on him either way, just like he could not prevent Wilbur from making that harsh decision, replacing him with his own best friend.

The boy was so caught up in his concerning thoughts he did not catch the sound of footsteps heading closer and closer towards where he was laying down, as well as a familiar voice of a man who he was supposed to see today. Tommy should have been paying attention to noises around him, since if it was a mob, he would be in loads of trouble, but it appeared he was lucky it was a player, not as if he cared right now. The unknown yet familiar individual which for some reason was walking around in the forest finally stumbled upon Tommy, causing the blond boy to finally start paying a tiny bit of his attention to the surroundings.

Next to him stood the man who Wilbur and he invited to their debates in order to receive more votes a few days ago, that being no one other than Jschlatt. The brunet held an umbrella in one hand and the phone in the other, talking to someone while roaming around the woods. Once Schlatt saw Tommy laying all dirtied in the mud, the brunet’s previously calm expression turned into a shocked and rather worried one.

\- I’ll call you back. - Schlatt spoke to the person on the phone before hanging up and stuffing his communicator - one that was different from any other communicator Tommy had ever seen - and approaching the blond who was not even reacting in any way to Schlatt being present. - You aight, kid? - The ram asked despite knowing the answer was negative, crouching down beside the dirtied child. Jschlatt would have thought the kid was dead if not for the blue eyes that were following his figure, light completely drained from them.

Tommy only groaned in response to Schlatt’s question, his voice raspy from both being in the cold for too long and sobbing for hours now. It did not take long for the ram to understand that the guy before him was going through rough times, causing the man to simply shrug and have the desire to walk away and forget this ever happened, but he stopped in his spot to look back at the helpless child on the ground. Jschlatt was invited here in the first place because Wilbur knew how fond Tommy was of Schlatt, and while the horned man himself did not care for Tommy as much as Wilbur, he could not leave the kid here. Besides, he could use this as a favour from Wilbur, knowing the blond was pretty much a little brother to the lover boy.

Jschlatt let out an irritated sigh at the sight of the kid, heading back towards where he was positioned to offer him a hand so the blond would stand up. Tommy glanced from the offered hand back to Schlatt’s face, appearing a bit surprised, and Jschlatt could swear he saw that fanboy-ish glint in the icy blue eyes before the child took his hand and attempted to raise himself from the ground, moving his legs in such a sloppy way he looked similar to a newborn deer who was learning how to walk. This resulted in some of the dirt to land on Schlatt’s trousers, and despite the irritation, Schlatt just sucked it up and helped Tommy.

\- Holy shit, you’re tall. - The ram commented while placing Tommy’s arm around his shoulders to support the boy’s weight. Luckily for Schlatt, the blond was quite light, although this only made him more concerned about whether or not the kid even ate. That question left Schlatt’s mind once he felt something warm come in contact with his back, making the man confused until he realised the child had been laying on the ground for Twitch knows how long, and that this was most definitely mud smearing against the expensive fabric. He’ll just have to force someone to wash that suit for him later. What mattered right now was to get the kid to safety.

*******

\- You sure it’s fine if I wear it? - Tommy asked as he walked out of the bathroom with a towel laying on top of his wet head and the all-familiar blue sweater loosely put on his torso. Obviously Schlatt did not want dirt all around his house, so he pretty much threw Tommy into the bathroom yelling at him to wash himself, because he did not feel like cleaning up. The boy obviously compiled since after he went inside of the house he realised just how shitty he felt from lying down in the cold forest for such a long time.

\- Yeah, I have not worn that thing in years, not sure if it even fits me at this point. The last time I wore it I brutally murdered a family of three with that same fabric you’re wearing. - Schlatt waved Tommy’s concerns off, not even bothering to look up at the kid, too occupied with opening a bottle of whiskey. Tommy chuckled at the joke with a small tone of shock in his voice, before plopping down on the couch across Schlatt, - I swear whoever makes these bottles is a fuckin’ sadist if a man who eats protein powder for breakfast can’t open this damn- - Schlatt finally managed to open the bottle through intense force, almost dropping the whiskey from how much strength he had to use.

\- Jeez, man, you could’ve made yourself all blind and shit! We don’t want another faulty one on this Server. - Tommy began to hysterically laugh, almost tearing up at Schlatt’s clumsiness. For a man who always smelled of alcohol not to be able to open a bottle from the first attempt was quite hilarious.

\- I’m gonna’ make you the blind one here if you continue laughing like a damn hyena. - Schlatt snarled back at Tommy’s comment, his tone offended, - ‘Sides, I didn’t bring you all the way here for you to just laugh at me, so let’s move on to the real talk. The shit happened for you to be out in the woods crying like your application to Harward had been declined? - The man switched topics, leaning back for his spine to meet the couch and while doing so throwing the legs on top of the table for better comfort. Schlatt loosened his red tie before taking a sip of his drink, causing his face to scrunch in instinct from the burning sensation in his throat.

\- Uhm, well, - Tommy was not sure if he should explain the situation, since it could end up in his idol laughing at his misery, but he shook that thought off, deciding it was better to tell him, - So you know how uh, - The blond could not find the right words to explain his position, losing his speaking ability due to nervousness and flashbacks hitting him hard like a train, until he finally let out a long sigh, getting straight to the point, - So Wilbur and I got into a bit of a, you know, fight, and now I’m replaced with my best friend and pretty much abandoned by everyone and made fun of, so yeah. - Tommy attempted to sound as if he did not care at all about the situation he was in, his eyes moving around the room to avoid eye-contact, making this conversation a tad less stressing for himself.

Schlatt stayed quiet as the teenager in-front of him was trying his best to explain, and had to fight his urge to start laughing out loud once he understood what was happening, not really at Tommy’s situation, but at Wilbur’s action of demoting the blond. He found Wilbur’s situation hilarious, because now it was even easier for him and other “villains” of the Server, and so, the ram began to do what he knew how to do the most - hiding his real emotions behind and mask and putting on a show.

\- Let me guess, lover boy thought you were too emotional or somethin’? - Schlatt kept on asking like it was no big deal, rolling along with the mood Tommy set for the conversation while pulling out a packet of cigarettes from his inventory, grabbing flint and steel along with it. The man pressed the cigarette against his mouth, holding it with his lips to light it, and after doing so putting the package and the flint and steel back into his inventory.

\- Uhhh, not really, I kind of got into a bit of a fight with the green bitch, and that- Yeah, did not end good for me. Got kind of fucked over. - Tommy nervously tapped his foot against the wooden floor of Schlatt’s house, fiddling with his thumbs and continuing to glance around, feeling slightly nervous due to the persistent glare he received from the man before him.

\- Really? And that’s it? - Jschlatt quirked his eyebrow upwards while pushing the smoke out of his lungs, holding the cigarette in-between his pointer and middle fingers, - Dang, explains why you were replaced with the breathing doormat today. I’ll be honest here, the guy shook like an autumn leaf the whole time, even though Wilbur was constantly pulling him to the side to calm him. You wouldn’t be nervous of something as ridiculous as just talking to a crowd of people now, would you? - The horned man slightly smirked while flinging one of his arms around the back of the sofa, unbuttoning his jacket to avoid getting it wrinkled from the unusual pose.

\- First of all, Tubbo’s not a doormat you bit-... - The boy got slightly aggressive with his words, in return getting a terrifying stare from the ram, making his confidence disappear, - Being a bit rude, ehm. - Tommy corrected himself, fidgeting in his seat before clearing his throat from all of the smoke in the air, - And uh, of course not! I’ve been doing public speaking my whole life, talking to people is what I’m best known for! - Tommy’s voice shook slightly in the beginning from fear of the man in-front of him, and he was not even sure why. In theory, Tommy knew he would be able to give Schlatt all the three deaths if he wanted to, however, it did not change the fact he was genuinely scared of the brunet.

\- Huh, well, did you hear I’m runnin’ now? - Jschlatt knew the answer very well himself, but he still had to be polite about this. While most might find this kindness of his rather adorable, the people who knew what’s up would probably be questioning his actions instead. While Tommy was jokingly called the main character of this World, barely anyone really managed to stay on good terms with him for longer than a few weeks, so this was truly a weird decision to try and be all buddy-buddy with Tommy, however, it is Schlatt after all, and this man never does things without a reason.

\- Really? You are? I didn’t think you’d be interested in that kind of thing. - The teenager sounded honestly surprised, feeling a bit more at ease with Schlatt around now because of the topic switch, enough to even hold eye-contact with the ram.

\- Yeah, they were pretty shocked when I announced myself as a candidate, you know? Pointing out how I don’t have anyone to run with and shit, but hey, maybe you can run with me? - Jschlatt almost felt himself grinning at the boy’s facial expression turning into a gleeful one, that is until he noticed how the boy deflated in a few seconds after the offer. 

\- I can’t-, what would Will think if I ran with someone else? Besides, why me anyway? I thought you’d run with one of your previous team members or something? - Tommy kept on asking more and more questions, causing Schlatt to let out a long exhale from the realisation it would not be this easy for him. With Tommy as his running mate he would definitely get a bunch of votes, and he could simply replace him with Quackity afterwards anyway. Not only that, it would definitely upset Wilbur to see his ex-Vice President as Schlatt’s running mate, and he even could imagine the expression Will would give him after finding out, determining Schlatt to make sure Tommy would join him in the end.

\- Look, Tommy, I’m going to be honest with you right now, - Schlatt took another long sip of the whiskey, placing the bottle on top of the table with a loud zing, - Lover boy literally replaced you with your best friend who I saw grinning like he didn’t just make you upset before, they don’t give a shit ‘bout you anymore, Tommy. As for me, I heard a lot about the things you’ve done for the nation, giving up valuable belongings of yours and shit just to make this nation exist, who would not want a Vice like you? - Jschlatt came close to shouting with how much he raised his voice, even slamming the table once, causing the boy before him to jump in his seat from the loud sound. 

Tommy was sitting speechless in-front of Schlatt, not having enough courage to make any commentary on the said words. The blond could not accept the brunet’s words as a fact, Tubbo and Wilbur still cared about him, right? He did see Tubbo and Will laugh together before, but maybe they were simply laughing at something stupid and not him. He would have been sitting for a long time thinking about Schlatt’s words if the man himself did not interrupt his thought process with an exhausted sigh.

\- Just-, listen, I’m not in any way forcing you to join me, I’m only giving you an offer to, and if you decline it I will not be mad, alright? - Jschlatt calmly explained, pressing the cigarette against his lips and sucking in the smoke. The offer was quite tempting now that Tommy thought about it; nothing would happen if we participated in the Election with Schlatt, the worst thing to happen would probably be the two of them coming close to winning, but other than that Tommy knew for a fact that POG2020 would win. Yet, no matter how much Tommy thought about it, it still just felt like a wrong thing to do. Tommy was unsure on what to do.

\- It’s just, it’s not like I don’t want to, man, but it feels wrong, y’know? It would feel like I’m betraying them or something, and I don’t want to be the next Eret. - The boy explained, tripping over his own words because of his desire to speak quicker, almost as if trying to reason himself out of agreeing rather than giving Schlatt a clear explanation on why he was this unsure.

\- Hey, hey, slow down, I’m not forcing you to anything, so you don’t have to explain yourself. How ‘bout this, - Schlatt politely prevented Tommy from saying anything else, thinking it was better to add something rather than just listen, - Once the rain is over, you go home, sleep, we both meet up in the morning before the Election, and then you tell me what you chose, aight? - The ram offered with a surprisingly kind smile, leaning forward towards the table all while not breaking eye-contact with the boy seated on the other side of the furniture.

\- Uhhhm, okay, okay, so then we meet the next morning, right? And I tell you my decision? - Tommy requested a clarification, taking a deep breath in and out to calm himself. Having just recovered from a mental breakdown from himself being thrown away like a broken toy by his friends, it was difficult not to panic at the word “Election”, for it was the reason all of this was happening.

\- Exactly. I just hope you make the right decision, Tommy.


	2. Chapter 2

Tommy did not consider himself stupid, maybe a tad naive, yet not enough to call himself a fool, however, sometimes he made such questionable decisions it even made him wonder if he had even the slightest bit of intelligence in him left. It was only logical for him to rest after such a strong emotional breakdown, but for whatever reason his mind could not turn itself off. All the boy could do was roll from side to side in enthusiastic attempts to find a comfortable position, until he just realised it would be better if he just gave up on sleep for today. 

It did not fit the blond to not do anything during the night however, so lying on the bed with no actual purpose did not satisfy him either, forcing him to stand up and maybe make some use of this night. Surely, he would get tired enough after work eventually, and perhaps he could have a short but good night’s rest. Well, maybe the quality will not be as great as he wishes it could be, yet it did not change the fact he could have an undeserved break from all of his thoughts and emotions.

Deep down Tommy knew that the feelings clouding his mind would never leave entirely, and that their presence can only be dimmed down by certain activities and different ways of discretion, nevertheless, it was still better than just being a useless waste of space.

Mostly his thoughts were made up of memories from not long ago, almost each one involving him getting into different wars with people, but those were not the only memories his brain held. Obviously, he had a family, like (almost) any other being did, although at this point he was not confident if he could call that even anything resembling a family. Their father held a special liking towards one of the brothers - for obvious reasons it was not Tommy - and Wilbur was slowly but surely dragging himself and Tommy away from the other family members, not putting any effort into bringing the group back together. It was emotionally painful to see something so wonderful deteriorate before his eyes.

When Wilbur offered Tommy to start something as silly as a drug empire, the boy felt so ecstatic, because it has been so long since he had any type of fun with his older brother. Of course, good things do not last long, and eventually something as simple as a drug van turned into a glorious nation, one that fought for its freedom against the tyrant - Dream, the Owner of the Server himself. Tommy, despite his energetic nature staying the way it was during the war, grew to become more and more tired, wishing for simpler times when it was his father, his brothers and him, all living in one nice little house.

The boy picked his diamond pickaxe up from the ground, his fingers weakly hugging the unevenly carved stick meant to resemble a handle, and so he proceeded to go into the small cave he dug up for himself to perhaps find some ores, all whilst still lost in his thoughts.

The sound of his diamond pickaxe hitting against the rough surface of the stone made his ears slightly hurt, the painful noise ringing through the caves like a sickening melody, making Tommy’s stomach turn. For some reason the cave sounds made Tommy uneasy, they just did not sound natural, as if something other than living beings or mobs made those terrifying noises. Yet, at the moment Tommy did not care for them as much, ignoring his fear, his trembling hands and his barely functioning legs. He would be fine, he was well aware he was just making things more dramatic than they actually were.

“I just hope you make the right decision, Tommy.”. Those words followed Tommy around throughout the whole time he was mining like an irritating bug, one that he was never able to quite fully kill no matter how much he tried. He knew who he was meant to be with, and those people were Wilbur and Tubbo... But why did Schlatt’s offer seem so alluring though? Why did he actually think about accepting it a few times? Why did he think about betraying the things he believed in all for the sake of staying near his idol and taking revenge on the people he loves? It did not make any sense to Tommy. He would never betray L’Manberg, it was his home, the only place where he could be the hero he always wished to be. 

Tommy’s communicator interrupted his trail of thoughts, its buzzing startling him enough to almost let go off his pickaxe. It was strange for someone to try and contact him at such a late time, perhaps it was Tubbo? It was not a first for the two of them to chat when they were supposed to be asleep using this peculiar device, so maybe it could be his best friend.

_Jschlatt: Kid you doing ok?_

The blond’s finger hovered above the keypad, reading the message sent over and over again as it repeated in his head, and he even muttered it out loud a few times, before typing back his hesitant reply.

_TommyInnit: Yea just a bit tired_

Usually Tommy would ask the person speaking to him a question back, requesting for any kind of information on their well-being, except right now Tommy did not feel like making the conversation longer than it should be. Besides, the teenager was aware Schlatt was not requesting for something as simple as how he was doing, but instead it was a question aimed towards finding out if their conversation held any results at the end.

Before the kid could place his communicator back into his pocket, it once again vibrated, this time right when he was clutching onto it, making it easier for him to see what the new message was.

_Jschlatt: Have you slept at all?_

This particular question made Tommy slightly puzzled, his eyebrow quirking up as a habit.

_TommyInnit: Whats that supposed to mean? Thought it aws liek 12 AM or something?_

Tommy mentally cringed at his spelling errors, nonetheless he could not do much about them; he felt too exhausted to see letters properly, especially when he was in the dark. While the communicator did have a gentle light radiating from it, it was barely enough to see the letters in the shadows during a sunny day.

_Jschlatt: Kid it’s literally 10 in the morning, the election will be held soon. Almost everyone’s near the stage already, I thought you were coming?? I’ve been looking for you_

\- Oh shit.

*******

Quick short breaths went through the blond boy’s dry lips -his pants perhaps making them even more dehydrated than before - as the trees whizzed past through his dashing figure. Tommy in all of his honesty never felt this exhausted up until now, the fact he did not sleep causing him to feel extremely sleepy and tired mixing with his energy getting spent on the mining. Maybe he should have forced himself to go to sleep by hitting his head against the wall, might have been painful, but it would have most likely worked.

-...With sixteen percent of the vote, coming in third place is Schlatt2020.

Tommy could hear Wilbur say in the distance, causing his pacing to grow slower and slower, both from how long he has been galloping for and the results for Schlatt. While he did not want the ram to win, he honestly expected more people to vote for him. Although, what that meant was he dodged a possible bullet, and as a result he let out a sigh of relief.

The blond finally made it to where the Election was held, his breathing unsteady as he leaned towards the closest tree with his entire weight, slowly descending down with his shoulder sliding down the rough wood. Tommy chose not to advance any further, feeling content with his position and getting himself properly seated.

\- Now that’s a surprise, - Tommy could hear Wilbur say, and he could not agree more, - putting him in third in popular vote. - The President repeated the man’s place, as if mocking Schlatt with how many votes he had gotten, the number obviously lower than what most like POG2020 had gathered, - Now, that leaves two parties.

Everyone almost instantly began to whisper amongst each other, both in the crowd and on stage, leaving Tommy only to guess what the people were quietly blabbering about. Was it not obvious POG2020 would win?

\- In second place, with thirty percent of the popular vote is…

Tommy swore he could hear people’s worried breaths through the microphone throughout the dramatic pause Wilbur held. The boy swore his heart stopped beating, wondering if they had actually won, despite knowing the answer already. For some reason it seemed too perfect.

\- Led by…

Another dramatic pause. Damn Wilbur, the man who seemed to pry off people’s panic and wild emotions.

\- The party leader Quackity, SWAG2020. 

Some people began to applaud in excitement, some people began to mourn in grief, and some people began to wonder if this was even to be considered surprising, with knowledge that POG2020 was pretty much close to unbeatable with who the political party was led by.

Tommy was neither of those individuals above, instead, he could only smile at how Tubbo’s eyes shone with glee, tears of joy rolling down his cheeks in the second he realised POG2020 must have won. It made the boy guilty he could even consider leaving this wonderful group of people, and perhaps he could make amends with Will after all. Sure, he would not be the Vice President anymore, yet maybe he could replace Tubbo as the secretary of State, that sounds fun.

\- Meaning that the leader of the popular vote by forty-five percent is POG2020.

\- LET’S GO! - Cheering was audible through the crowd, many members of L’Manberg screaming their lungs out of happiness, and Tommy could not hold back a cheerful screech either, pushing it through his barely working lungs. The blond could have sworn he saw some people tearing up from delight, and he could have sworn he did not cry out of happiness as well, his cheeks definitely not turning wet from his crying caused by merriment.

\- Listen- Listen- Please stop- Listen- Stop celebrating- Look, Tubbo, we won, but listen- - Wilbur interrupted the celebration, waving his long lanky arms around to prevent people from shouting, - Quackity already knows I think. - Wilbur moved his brown eyes from the Election results to the mentioned man, his previously hyped voice for dramatism turning into a calmer one. Something was definitely wrong.

Tommy could tell things were not going according to plan, so as a reflex he shot upwards to defend his two friends just in case, hand already reaching for the familiar weapon he held in his inventory. While the boy doubted anything would escalate into war, it was better to be prepared than to be caught completely unprepared by your enemy.

\- Two nights ago on the night of the Election uh- after the announcement of Schlatt2020 and- and Coconut2020- Uhm… Quackity made a deal with uhm-... The leader of Schlatt2020, mr. Jschlatt, stood right behind me, Quackity said that no matter what happens, Quackity would pool Schlatt2020 votes on with SWAG2020 votes.

At this point both Quackity and Schlatt did not even attempt to hide their true emotions - gaiety and excitement, the two of them quietly cheering to themselves with victorious chuckles as Wilbur stumbled out his words, obviously displeased with the whole situation, Tommy could tell by how much he stuttered throughout the announcement.

\- POG2020 got forty-five percent of the popular vote, meaning that the coalition government of SWAG and Schlatt2020 got FORTY-SIX percent of the popular vote! 

Shocked gasps were heard all around the podium, but Tommy could not care less, for he was focused only on one sound - the satisfied laughter of Jschlatt, one that he knew would haunt his dreams from now on, that was for sure. Due to the lack of sleep it felt as if this was not real, like he would wake up any second now in the drug van Wilbur and he adored so much, but nothing was ever this simple, was it?

\- Meaning that tonight, ladies and gentlemen, - Wilbur continued his speech, Schlatt’s laughter still echoing throughout the podium, - on Tuesday, on twenty-second of September, 2020…

Tommy did not care enough to focus on anything else shouted out by Wilbur, it was such a blurry mess to him, all he could hear was Schlatt. Tommy should have known they had made a mistake somewhere if Schlatt was so confident he even offered Tommy a position before the actual poll results, Tommy should have known and said something. What would he even say in the first place though? “Hey, guys, so I think the whole SWAG2020 and Schlatt2020 government might actually be more successful.”? Yeah, no, would not have worked.

\- Well… That was pretty easy.

This was when Tommy finally brought his attention back at the stage, his icy blue eyes focusing on the figure of the ram currently standing on top of the stage, leaning into the microphone with a wolfish grin spread across his prideful face.

\- You know what I said the day I got unbanned from Dream SMP, the day I said I was running? In the Election I won by the way.

Silence was the only answer Schlatt received.

\- I said things will change. I looked every citizen of L’Manberg in the eyes and I said: “You listen to me...This place will be a lot different tomorrow.”.

The sheer fear Tommy experienced in that moment could not be described with any possible words. The boy felt his stomach drop, his heartbeat ring through his ears as the ram went on, hoping someone would stop him, hoping this was just an awfully realistic nightmare. This could not be real, this did not feel right. Tommy knew he would wake up any moment now, inside of the drug van with his fellow L’Manbergians sound asleep by his side. However, of course, it was real.

\- Let’s start making it happen.

Tommy was uncertain what Schlatt meant by that, and until he could process that sentence the man once again started to speak, his breath stuck inside of his throat as he felt his body turning limp due to the unimaginable fear and realization of what was unfolding before his eyes.

\- My first decree, as the President of L’Manberg, the EMPEROR, OF THIS GREAT COUNTRY, IS TO REVOKE THE CITIZENSHIP OF WILBUR SOOT AND TUBBO! GET ‘EM OUT OF ‘ERE!

Jschlatt pointed into the direction of the duo, everyone almost immediately turning around to look at them seated in the back, holding weapons in their hands. Tommy launched in as well, for the moment he saw an arrow coming close to hitting Will, his nerves could not take it, and so he pushed the brunet out of the harm’s way, kicking him into the same direction where Tubbo was heading, assuming they had a backup plan.

Tommy could have sworn he heard Wilbur yell something at him before rushing to where Tubbo was galloping, but instead of hearing words he heard a loud ringing surrounding them due to the fuss surrounding them. The boy could not leave his friends in such a messed up state, so like a great friend would do, he shot back at the attacking individuals, buying Will and Tubbo time to make their escape a successful one.

Evil chuckles came out of the dynamics, followed by screaming of the people who he cared so dearly for, and yet he could not believe this was real. It all felt like a strange fever dream, because who in the world would do such a thing? Who in the world would banish such wonderful people? Well, as it turns out, Schlatt would.

\- From now on, Wilbur Soot and Tubbo are merely a memory of L’Manberg, a relic of past.

Those words felt like a dagger penetrating Tommy’s heart, his hand quickly grabbing a hold onto the dirtied in coal turtleneck sweater Schlatt handed yesterday, having a strong urge to empty his stomach after realising he was still wearing this same thing that Jschlatt gave him. It made Tommy feel sick he could not tell how Jschlatt was cruel from the start, he should have known better than to trust anyone after his experiences with Eret.

\- A reminder of the darkest era this country has even seen...And I guarantee you all, dear citizens, today that changes.

Tommy’s trembling legs made tiny steps away from the crowd, who did not attack him for whatever reason, their glances instead still directed at the same spot where Wilbur and Tubbo ran, hatred filling their gaze. Even though that strong emotion of dislike was not aimed at the boy, he felt just as though they were going to attack him as well, causing his flight or fight instinct to kick in. And so the blond’s limbs finally moved from one spot, carrying him to where he saw his allies last.

\- We’re entering into a new period. Period of prosperity!

The man kept talking, satisfaction over victory lacing his venomous words. The individuals who supported the ram continued howling in delight, some repeating their triumphant screeches over and over again, not stopping once their throats felt sore. It made Tommy nauseous, revulsion visible on his pale from horror features.

\- Of strength!

Tommy made a sharp turn, hiding behind the brick wall of L’Manberg from possible threats his previously trusted friends could present. It staggered Tommy that he was not already dead, nonetheless it did not matter in the slightest, they were probably just aiming at Wilbur and Tubbo exclusively due to Schlatt exclaiming they were the only ones he exiled. Tommy pressed his back against the wall, gasping for air in dread.

\- Of unity!

Tommy’s legs gave up on him, forcing his body to press its weight fully against the wall and make its way down to the ground. Tommy’s eyes traveled up from the grass to look at the forest, spying silhouettes of the now exiled men who could only offer him one last glance filled with sorrow until the two disappeared in the depths of the woods.

\- CAN WE GIVE IT UP FOR NO WILBUR SOOT AND TUBBO!?

A loud wave of cheering could be heard from the same individuals who Tommy considered to be his friends, although that was not the only sound the blond could hear. Some were shouting profanities and the man, their yelling being quieter than the Schlatt supporters’, but loud enough for Tommy to not lose hope. He could not give up on Wilbur Soot and Tubbo, he could not give up on L’Manberg just yet when there was still a chance of making things right.

\- Yeah, I was getting tired of ‘em anyway.

The ex-Vice President of L’Manberg rose from the ground with newfound hope with determination sparkling in his icy blue eyes. Tommy now knew he should have stayed by Wilbur and Tubbo for as long as possible, maybe that way the results would be better. Maybe Tommy would be at least exiled along with his friends, not having to make plans on how to find the two in order to join them.

\- LET’S LOWER TAXES!

Tommy made powerful steps towards the forest, dusting the dust off the sweater, which he had gotten after hours of mining. The sight of the blue turtleneck made him sick, however, it was not the time to dwell on what he was wearing, it was time for action. Tommy once again ran away, this time not away from his friends and family, but to them.

\- I’LL ALSO REPLACE WATER FOUNTAINS WITH PUNCH!

The people once more cheered, throwing their fists in the air, ignoring the individuals who were against anything Jschlatt has said. Even Fundy, the fucking son of Wilbur Soot himself, let out a loud hooray for the new President, standing next to the ram like he did not see how digusting this sight was.

\- Tommy? Where’s Tommy?

The boy stopped walking, his heart stopping at the calling of his name. 

Why could his legs not move anymore, and instead they only quivered in terror? Why did he freeze on spot without a good reason to, he did not have to listen to Schlatt, he did not have to listen to anyone in L’Manberg anymore after they all fucked him over. So then why?

\- Tommy, get up ‘ere! - Jschlatt complacently demanded, - Get up ‘ere on my podium! - The ram ordered once more, this time getting closer to the microphone for his deep voice to spread further into the Dream SMP. It could not be real, Tommy told himself, none of this could be real. Why was Schlatt calling for him?

Was Schlatt not satisfied enough with what he had done and chose to mock Tommy, is that what is happening? Tommy remembered how much he and Schlatt laughed while together, but he also recalled saying that the man would lose, and Jschlatt only smirked at that statement, knowingly. That bastard. Tommy should have known better than to even think those laughs meant anything. Wilbur taught him better than to trust people when he first meets them, even when they are your idol.

\- C’mon, Tommy! You’re the secretary of state.

Although Tommy stood far away from the podium to not even see it, his ears caught the sound of gasping and confused whispers among the people. They were not the only ones who were confused, Tommy thought, it was not what he expected to happen, it was not supposed to be this way. Sure, Schlatt and him spoke before the Election, however, he did not think of it as anything serious until now. Why would Schlatt actually go through with that silly idea? And why were his legs moving in the direction of the stage?

\- Schlatt, I don’t know if that’s- - Quackity interrupted the new President’s calls for Tommy, attempting to talk Schlatt out of this. It was no wonder, after all, Quackity was the first person to run against Wilbur and Tommy, labeling them as the villains in his head. Quackity had all the right to be displeased about the idea of Tommy standing near them on stage as a governmental worker.

\- Shut it, Tommy and I had a bit of a deal before the Election. - Jschlatt shushed the Vice, coming close to shouting. The microphone carried the same loudness of volume in it, forcing Tommy to place his hands on his ears, head hurting from how the voice rang inside of it. 

\- Tommy?! How could you?! - Nihachu strainingly yelled from the crowd. It reminded Tommy of how he screamed at Eret once the man came out as the traitor of L’Manberg, he recalled exactly what he shouted that day, and he could not believe that same sentence was aimed at him this time. Was he the bad guy? No, he could not be, he is always a hero after all. So then why was he still making it to the podium, speeding up with each step taken? Why did he not turn around and leave? Tommy had no answers for those questions, despite them being his own.

\- Can someone shut that woman? - Schlatt let out a dissatisfied growl at Nihachu’s protesting, - Anyway, if I won he would get a good position in the government, at first he was supposed to be Vice, but after negotiation we decided to settle for somethin’ less stressful. At least for now. - Jschlatt was so clearly lying, that was not true whatsoever, but the crowd believed it. Why did they believe it? Was Tommy really the type of person to betray his loved ones in people’s opinions? No, they were confused, Tommy was almost deceived by the man’s kindness himself. Schlatt was simply too smart for everyone else, and perhaps Tommy could demonstrate it by not stepping on stage. But he was already so close, and maybe it would not be terrible?

\- Tommy? - The President repeated the boy’s name, his yellow eyes wandering around the crowd until they landed on the blond boy, who was just about to start leaving after long contemplation over whether or not he wanted to go up there. Of course, Schlatt did not give Tommy any time to think.

\- Ah, Tommy, so good to see you. - Jschlatt turned to face the blond as he extended his slightly bent arms to the sides, a smug grin painting his features with his horrifying fangs sparkling in the light. Tommy slightly backed away, appearing smaller than he usually was due to his back being a little slumped over, hands grasping onto the upper part of his arms.

\- Uh, ‘ello? - Tommy awkwardly greeted the people on stage, offering them a small wave as he shrunk in terror over Schlatt’s menacing figure. Tommy was unsure why the ram scared him so much, it was far worse than when he had wars with Dreams or arguments with Wilbur, while he used to experience fear during those times, it could never be compared to what he felt at this moment as he was face-to-face with a cold bastard.

\- Tommy, c’mere. - The brunet gestured for the blond to come closer, followed by his finger pointing downward onto the flooring right near himself. Obviously, Tommy was not going to listen to him, it was not like him to listen to what anyone said, heck, he did not even listen to Wilbur most of the time, so why would he follow orders from a man who he did not like? Tommy was questioning that himself afterwards.

\- Uh, aight? - The boy muttered under his nose, obviously not thinking Schlatt meant to literally stand by his side, but the look Schlatt gave him when he stood next to the microphone in the back was enough to force him to sprint towards where Jschlatt was. The ram smirked in delight over Tommy’s surprising obedience, whilst others could not believe what they were witnessing.

\- Tommy’s betrayal?! What?! - Tommy heard Eret shout from the crowd. That traitorous bastard did not have any right to be shocked over his actions, Tommy thought, so he had no desire to think about the man, instead focusing on Schlatt.

\- Ahaha! - The ram victoriously laughed as he slammed his hand down onto Tommy’s shoulder, - I love this guy. - Schlatt added with delight, pulling Tommy in closer to himself with a rough tug, giving the boy a side hug. This made no sense. This made absolutely no fucking sense.

\- Uh, what ‘m I exactly ‘ere for? - Tommy finally asked, straightening his back to not appear this small compared to the pride man who stood tall next to him. Tommy was honestly unsure why he even attempted to imitate Jschlatt’s posture when he knew this man was not someone who he should see as a role model.

\- Ah, my very own Tommy. - Jschlatt ignored Tommy’s question, instead continuing with figuratively patting himself on the head, as though he just won a lottery. Tommy wanted to wipe that stupid grin off Schlatt’s face so badly, but the memory of how Wilbur and Tubbo almost died after the citizens of L’Manberg saw them as a threat prevented him from acting on those urges.

\- Tommy, I didn’t think you were capable of such a thing! - Nihachu once more squealed at the top of her lungs, causing Tommy’s attention to snap in her direction. Why were they not noticing how distressed Tommy looked while standing next to Schlatt, why did no one do anything? Why was no one helping him? Why was everyone staring at him with fury in their eyes? And why were the ‘bad guys’ of this place staring at him with such a strangely friendly look? What was happening?

\- As my secretary of state and as my RIGHT-HAND MAN, - Jschlatt swiftly spun on his heel to face the citizens,- of L’Manberg. - The new President announced, one of his arms extended to the side in order to emphasize his emotions, the other one still placed on top of Tommy’s shoulder.

\- Oh, wait, shit, really? - The boy’s eyes widened in surprise, head turned back to face Schlatt, a glint of happiness visible in his light blue orbs. Tommy’s joy was soon gone after remembering who exactly declared that as his kindness filled eyes met Schlatt’s menacing ones, causing him to cower in fear.

\- Yea, really. - Jschlatt offered the trembling kid a smug smirk, - Anyways, as I was sayin’. I need you to do somethin’ for me, Tommy. - The President switched the topic, his grip tightening on Tommy’s shoulder, making him quietly wince in pain from the nails almost piercing his pale skin. Although the ram was not physically strong, his nails were extremely sharp, to the point where they could most likely be used as a cutting tool.

\- Uh, yeah? - The blond forced out a smile, finding the creaky wooden floorboards more interesting than anything happening around. The hybrid’s insanely ominous voice rang through his mind, all of the words mixing into a jumbled mess. 

\- I need you… To find Wilbur and Tubbo, and show them the door…

Tommy’s tremoring physique ceased to quiver, freezing in the same location as his brain struggled to acknowledge the ongoing events. This all felt like a figment of his imagination, a wild fantasy his brain made up after such a stressful weekend where each day seemed like a nightmare. Regardless of how unreal this set of circumstances was, Tommy had to give an answer.

\- I… - The boy’s words got stuck in his throbbing throat, his ability to speak returning only after letting his saliva wash his throat over by gulping and then taking a deep breath to boost confidence, - I can’t do that, Schlatt. They’re m’ friends. - Tommy made sure his voice was hushed and steady, merely a whisper that would not travel past his and Schlatt’s ears.

\- Listen up ‘ere, kid. - The ram’s behavior alternated, switching from a rather cocky one to a serious tone in a second, sending chills down the blond’s spine, - Right now you’re not in the best spot to refuse, Wilbur and Tubbo and literally fuckin’ everyone think you made a deal with me for a position ‘ere after they fucked you over. I suggest you listen to me and not your emotions, Tommy Innit. - The words crawled their way into Tommy’s mind as if they were venomous insects, infesting the boy’s brain with their terrible selves. The way Schlatt spoke, the way his figure moved with such strong suffocating confidence, all of those things made shivers crawl down Tommy’s spine whilst he and the ram held a seemingly a forever lasting eye-contact.

Tommy had no choice other than to act, and his next step would be a life-changing decision - either he follows Schlatt’s orders and has to force himself to forget about his old friends, or disobeys and makes a sprint towards where Wilbur and Tubbo ran, essentially becoming an exiled individual himself. Although staying with his old buddies sounded far better than having to listen to the dictator’s orders, Tommy could not risk it, and he knew that it would ruin a lot of his relationships made in the past, but there were no options for him to take which would not end up in him getting himself in trouble. And so, the new right-hand man picked up a netherite axe, the other hand wielding a shield.

\- Tommy?! - A shocked yelp was heard from somewhere not far away, the shaky pained cry sounding rather familiar to Tommy’s ears. For the blond it was easier to tell his best friend’s voice from anyone else’s, due to how long he heard it before in many different volumes and tones. A dark chuckle came from behind Tommy as he made his way off the podium, avoiding fall damage with a water bucket.

\- Tubbo, I need you to come with me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pogchamp.


	3. Chapter 3

Squelching noises accompanied Tommy with each step he took, the mud sticking to his worn boots’ outsoles just as though even nature begged the boy not to listen to Schlatt’s orders. The secretary of state ignored the irritating sounds, fighting through the natural trap of the moisty woods. Yesterday’s rain caused Tommy more and more problems as it seemed, despite having ended hours ago. The blond grit his teeth in annoyance, letting out a weary exhale.

\- Tubbo?! Wilbur?! - Tommy called out for the two, scanning the area with his shiny blue eyes. Only chickens clucked in response, passing him with interest which only lasted for a few seconds. The boy once more sighed, approaching a nearby tree with his axe swung over his shoulder. It was meant to be his weapon for attack in case he bumped into his friends - if he could even call them that - , but of course he was not planning on using it that way. However, he could not come back empty-handed.

Tommy leaned onto the tree’s trunk, sitting down onto its thick roots with the chopper’s heel resting on top of the grass. He rummaged through his inventory, pulling out a poorly cooked piece of steak and biting onto it, slowly devouring the meal whilst trying to plan his future actions. He did not aim on becoming friends with Jschlatt, the man who was the reason behind his loneliness, so he obviously had to come up with something to get him out of this predicament.

The boy’s eyes fell onto the white bird before him, a silly little chicken which pecked at the mud in hopes of finding food for itself. Tommy slightly laughed at its foolishness, but then he stopped as an idea popped into his head. The boy carefully stood up from the tree’s tangled foundation, silently picking up his weapon before approaching the chicken.

Tommy slowly raised his axe whilst standing in-front of the bird, and in the blink of an eye everything around was splashed in chicken’s hot blood, the liquid trickling down the weapon. The last noise heard was a piercing squeal and just like that it was dead, its bones mangled by the netherite. Tommy could not hide a smirk as he investigated the red stains all over himself. Unless there was someone smart enough to tell he did not actually hurt a human being he would be alright.

The boy placed the axe’s handle onto his shoulder, smearing the natural liquid all over himself without a care. Tommy whistled a catchy tune to himself whilst heading back to L’Manberg, not noticing the white glowing eyes watching him from afar with interest sparking in them.

*******

When Tommy was approaching the podium where he assumed Schlatt should be, it was already getting late, the sun slowly hiding away behind the mountains in the distance. The boy did not feel his limbs at this point, for he was extremely sleepy from not having enough rest. He lifted his icy blue eyes to look up at the familiar walls, hoping they will bring him at peace with their magnificent glory, yet all he saw were the leftovers of that same structure which used to serve as protection.

The secretary of state felt his eyes widen at the horrifying sight, his gaze involuntarily moving to where the L’Manbergian flag should be, however, instead of the colors he expected to see, he was met with a strangely similar pattern, but one that still felt far from home. The purple on the bottom simply did not go well with the rest of the colors, or perhaps he was so used to seeing the blue it did not look right.

A small drop of water rolled down Tommy’s bloodied cheek, forcing him to bring his attention to it. The boy pressed his hand on it for collecting purposes, analyzing the transparent liquid. One more drop of water, and Tommy repeated his previous movements, this time quicker than before. His scarred from wars hands trembled as he studied them. Two more drops of water, this time Tommy did not wipe them off, instead he looked up at the sky. It was clear. So why was it raining?

Footsteps from behind made Tommy turn around to face the individual behind the sounds, blurry eyes barely being able to focus on the person before him. At first Tommy could have sworn he saw the recognizable wavy brown hair, a comforting smile along with those kind brown eyes in-front of himself, yet once he made a few shaky steps towards the person, the silhouette’s shape began to change, and the moment Tommy clung to the individual who opened his arms for an embrace, it was clear as day he did not hug the person who he wished he wanted to. 

Tommy’s form shivered from sorrow, a light sob escaping his throat. The boy’s hands dug into the man’s back, fingers holding tight onto the strange fabric, one that he remembered, although he could not tell where from. Tommy, held hostage by the interest, opened his watery eyes to examine the human he held onto, and once he did his breath hitched from fear.

Jschlatt was the one who Tommy wrapped his arms around, and the same person who was the cause of all of this. The blond was not sure if he should have pushed the ram away, shouting out every swear word he knew, yet right now all he could do was burst out with pained cries, hiding his face in Schlatt’s suit as the latter gently pet his golden locks, lulling him to rest with some quiet soothing words leaving that filthy mouth. Tommy hated the fact he was comforted by his enemy, although right now he did not care, he just wanted to close his eyes and sleep, to disappear from reality for just a little while. It was not as if the whole country would disappear if he slept for a few seconds, or so he liked to believe.

*******

Tommy’s icy blue eyes fluttered open, the sight of ruins that he saw L’Manberg become before himself imprinted in his memory as clear as day. It was surprising to the teenager that he did not have any nightmares today, although he guessed his lack of sleep could be the reason behind that. Tommy’s whole body was aching, and his limbs felt as though they were burning. A lengthy yawn left his mouth as he stretched his arms out, his vertebrates popping in with audible cracking sounds.

After a short stretch the blond lifted his body from the soft surface he was situated on, hands slowly rubbing the sleep off his eyes. The memories of supposedly yesterday ran through his head, causing him panic from realization he fell asleep whilst hugging the tyrant. Tommy restored his consciousness after that shockingly quick as he threw his legs over for them to stand on the floor. 

Tommy investigated the room he was resting in, his vision gradually becoming clearer as he studied the objects around himself. It appeared to be some sort of couch he was seated on, one that looked astonishingly familiar. The whole room was strangely officelike, giving Tommy a few ideas as to where he might be. There was a huge window right beside him with a view of a huge part of the Dream SMP, and right in-front of it was placed a huge wooden table. He was in the White House, obviously.

The boy made an attempt to rise up from the sofa and instead he got himself tangled in the covers he did not notice at first. Falling face first onto the hard floor was somewhat painful, despite Tommy’s face sensing close to nothing, after all, it felt unnaturally numb today. And that was when Tommy heard it - a quiet soothing melody coming from somewhere not far away, perhaps a few meters in distance.

Tommy pushed the blanket off himself, climbing upwards as discreetly as he could as to not disturb the person behind such a beautiful chime. The blond made tiny steps towards where the melody was coming from, that being the large window he recalled installing with Quackity not long ago. Once he was standing right in-front of it, he could not tell where the musician was, until his eyes traveled to the right, a familiar form of a ram hybrid entering his vision.

The brunet was leaning against the wall with flute pressed against his lips, fingers skillfully moving around the wooden instrument, obviously having experience with the item before. In all honesty Tommy was surprised by the sight, yet what he was most surprised about was how honestly delightful the melody was to his ears, even though the man behind it was awful. Tommy could not help but freeze and listen to the flute’s sounds for a little while, taking a seat near the window with his body rocking left and right, just as though he was following the melody’s notes with his body.

Then the music stopped all of a sudden, almost causing Tommy to fall over from how abruptly Schlatt discontinued the melody, ending it with a high note that even caused the boy to slightly cringe. Tommy figured Jschlatt got bored of the same activity, since he could hear a loud exaggerated sigh from all the way in the White House, one that was followed by approaching footsteps. Tommy’s stomach dropped, triggering panic in him, and so he sprinted back to the couch, plopping onto it with squeals of protest coming from the sofa.

Just as Tommy’s head made contact with the comfortable pillow the door was carefully opened by the ram from the outside, holding it slightly opened to supposedly see if the blond was still asleep. Tommy guessed his position was unnatural from Schlatt opening the door further without hesitation this time, making the boy giggle as he hid his face in the covers to suppress the silenced laughter.

\- I can clearly see you’re awake, kiddo’, don’t hide from me. - Schlatt snickered at the sight, striding towards the couch with flute hidden away from sight, most likely placed away. Tommy only giggled more, covering his head with the blanket, golden locks sticking from beneath the red fabric. Jschlatt placed his hand on Tommy’s shoulder, slightly shaking the child.

\- No, ‘m asleep! Go away! - Tommy kept insisting whilst pouting his lip to prevent a grin from spreading across his face, hiding his legs under the covers along with the rest of his body. Jschlatt jokingly tsked at the childish behavior, rolling up his sleeves with a devilish yet kind grin. The ram silently crouched down beside the lying figure of the blond, hands placed on the edges of the cushions.

\- Y’sure? What if I jus’... - The ram’s brows quirked up in faked speculation, not letting Tommy reply as he swiftly pulled the covers off him, an enthusiastic ‘ah-ha!’ escaping Schlatt’s throat. Tommy let out a surprised yelp, rolling over onto his back only to see Schlatt’s joyful figure standing beside him, covers now left forgotten on the floor. 

\- Ay, man! Not fair! ‘S cold! - The blond complainingly whined, emphasizing his point by wrapping his arms around his slim figure, purposely ignoring the warm sweater which kept him from the chilly temperature. Schlatt put his fists onto both of his sides, evilly chortling to himself.

\- Y’wanna know what else isn’t fair? - Jschlatt raised one of his brows at Tommy, who was about to respond with one of his strange comments, but the brunet was not about to let himself get roasted by a child, - This! - Schlatt exclaimed before beginning to tickle the boy, who began cackling with tears of laughter soon appearing on his icy blue eyes whilst he was pleading for the older to stop. Schlatt chuckled along with the kid, ignoring all of the playful hits he received during their little battle.

Soon enough Tommy gave up on striking back at the ram, digging his nails into Schlatt’s arms whilst laughing, his legs moving all around the place. Jschlatt occasionally had to avoid getting kicked by the blond, taking careful steps away from the long limbs, but it did not affect his mood in the slightest, perhaps doing even the opposite.

\- Uh, Schlatt? - A confused voice inquired from behind, forcing the two laughing individuals to freeze in their spot, until they quickly moved into casual positions as though this never happened, a silent mutual agreement appearing between them. 

There, right beside the open door, stood the Vice President of L’Manberg - Quackity, some sort of papers in his hands, most likely documents with the new reforms Schlatt had made. The face Quackity had on display showed clear confusion, mockery, and a tad bit of adoration, as if he just witnessed something surprising yet adorable. Tommy and Jschlatt simply ignored the admiration, both males’ faces scrunched up in dislike.

\- What d’ya have there? - Schlatt switched the subject until Quackity asked the two about what he had witnessed, instead bringing attention back to business. While it might have made the situation less uncomfortable, to Tommy it was a reminder of reality, causing him to shuffle around a bit on top of the couch as the older men discussed something, hiding himself under the covers.

Tommy did not understand his actions, he did not understand why he even embraced Jschlatt in the first place, why he laughed along with the dictator despite having nothing in common with the man, why he could not bring himself to hate him after all of the terrible doings. It must be mind tricks, Tommy thought, it must be the ram’s strategy to get him on his side, however, Tommy did not plan on giving in this easily, otherwise how could he still consider him a strong man?

The two voices got further and further away from the couch, disappearing in the distance, soon their leave becoming far more obvious due to the slam of the door Tommy’s ears caught onto. The blond kicked the blanket off, the fabric now crumpled into a mess at the bottom part of the furniture. Tommy studied the ceiling with interest, instead of seeing the blank white concrete in-front of himself, the boy’s memory reminded him of the awful sight he saw before fainting, the dark aura surrounding the broken down walls and the changed flag making Tommy shiver.

As someone who had already witnessed a lot, instead of experiencing the usual five stages of grief, Tommy skipped most of them and simply accepted the way things were meant to be. Tears no longer formed on his icy blue eyes, he did not hyperventilate at the remembrance of the view, he just idly relaxed on top of the couch, wondering what his next moves were going to be. Wilbur and Tubbo did not appear to enjoy his presence, and pretty much everyone thinks he betrayed L’Manberg, so now he had no other choice but to either try something with Schlatt as the President, or switch sides by proving his loyalty to Wilbur, no matter the cost.

The way Wilbur stared at Tommy the last time did not look promising though - that serious glare filled with something entirely different from what the blond was used to. Back in the days of the Great SMP Earth - the first Server to teach him of politics, betrayal, villainy and heroism - Wilbur gave him that same stern look, one he received whenever he did something truly evil, something he did not even want to remember. Tommy left his villain career behind, seeking ways for him to turn into a hero rather than staying on one side, and that was when he and his older brother truly connected, so why was Wilbur doing that again? Why was Wilbur looking at Tommy as if he was a villain right now?

Tommy felt a wave of spasm throughout his body, forcing his limbs to jerk upwards from the nerves acting up. This is what he deserved for being a stressed pussy, Tommy mused, it was uncharacteristic for him to be this way in the first place. Tommy was meant to be a brave man, not a terrified boy. If life wished he spent time with Schlatt, then so be it, it will not change his status of a hero, obviously. It was not as though he even had a choice, he had every right to socialize with the individuals around himself, especially after everyone fucked him over not a while ago. Yeah, Tommy could work with this.

The boy lifted his body up from the comfortable surface, not taking long to stand up, and as a result feeling a tad light-headed for the hurry. A few pained groans escaped Tommy at the headache, yet once it evaporated, the blond was back in business, immediately taking off towards the direction of the door. If this world was not willing to make him the path he wanted to take, he would just have to carve that path with all of his strength himself, like a man that he is.

*******

After a few minutes of roaming around the strangely empty-looking L’Manberg, Tommy took note of someone standing beside the infamous van. The van’s previously beautiful walls were covered in mud, smeared all across the outside of the vehicle, but the story of the camravan would never be associated with dirt, it to be only associated with the heroes who got their freedom, the brave people who never gave up, and the pain this nation went through to achieve their goal - independence.

Tommy’s attention shifted to the people, avoiding getting lost in the memory, for he did not want to seem like a spaced out idiot. Focusing on the people proved to be difficult because of the headache, yet he could tell who they were rather quickly despite the blurry vision - there stood Nihachu and Fundy, the two of them discussing something with passion, or maybe anger, Tommy was not sure, he had to get closer to tell.

The boy walked towards them, his walk slightly wobbly and his legs occasionally bending when he did not mean for them to. Tommy did not know a stressful situation could tire him out this much, although he was guessing the search for Wilbur and Tubbo was the reason behind his exhaustion as well, but he did not wish to admit that he could be tired of something so easy. Fundy was quick to notice Tommy, his ear twitching at the sound of Tommy’s boots hitting the grass.

\- Tommy? - The fox’s face slightly scrunched up at something once Tommy was close enough, as if the blond brought a bad smell along with him. Of course, Tommy knew he needed a shower, but he could not believe the smell was this terrible, that is until Fundy voiced his worries, - Why is there blood on your uh, why is there blood on your sweater? - The hybrid questioned, head tilting to the side in curiosity.

Nihachu’s eyes were now on Tommy as well, her gaze - similar to Fundy’s - glued on the reddish stain. The boy forgot about the stain in the first place, immediately looking down to confirm that it was, in fact, there. The stain was not as terrible as Tommy had expected, having imagined that action of his would leave a bigger splash, but it did not matter. As long as Schlatt did not find out it was meant to be a trick, he would be completely fine.

\- Uh, y’see, I was told to hunt Wilbur and Tubbo, so I did, - Fundy gave him a nod, motioning for Tommy to continue, - And… Y’know, two on one ain’t fair, so I got a bit stabbed and shit. Luckily, I had regen potions on me, so it was all good. Just a stain, nothin’ much, nothin’ I can’t handle. - Tommy got more and more confident as he continued his sentence, surprising himself with how great of a liar he can be at times. Of course, it was nothing compared to his skills in the past, but it was still quite impressive. Seems like he had it in him after all this time.

\- Why did you listen to what Schlatt told you, Tommy?! - The mood shifted at Niki’s tone turning aggressive, startling the blond as a result, - You see what happens when you listen to that... That tyrant?! Tommy, you still have all the chances, please don’t give up. - Nihachu took confident steps towards the boy, placing her hands on top of his shoulders whilst her saddened eyes explored Tommy’s, just as though hoping to find something in them.

\- See?! There she goes again! - An irritated sigh escaped Fundy’s lips, - She keeps saying Schlatt is bad, and that he is- That he is awful, but she’s not willing to listen to my opinion and accept him as her Leader! It’s stupid, right, Tommy? - The fox gave Tommy an expecting look, eyebrows arching downwards. The two pleading faces left Tommy speechless. Was he really supposed to pick sides? Was he simply that important to everyone they asked for his opinion before making a full decision? Come to think about it, most individuals deemed him the main character, however, Tommy did not think they were serious about it. The boy was unsure of what to do next.

\- You two, stop harassing the kid or both of you are goin’ to end up with Wilbur in whatever the fuck Pogtopia is. - A deep voiced male could be heard from behind, the owner of said voice slapping Nihachu’s hand away from Tommy’s shoulder. Niki’s expression shifted into fear, Fundy’s face following her afterwards in emotions. The familiar large hand positioned itself on top of Tommy’s shoulder, taking Niki’s place, but the weight of it was almost causing the teenager’s legs to give up.

Tommy slowly turned his head towards the man himself, carefully peeping to seek for any interesting emotions. Jschlatt showed no anger despite the assertive tone with a hint of aggression, although that did not make the ram any less fearsome. However, something did not seem correct; the way Schlatt held Tommy with such protectiveness made the boy happy for whatever reason, reminding him of the same feeling from the times when Phil would shield him from danger - the feeling of warmth, comfort and safety spreading throughout his whole body, giving him a sense of security more than any armour in the world. It felt nice, and Tommy did not even know he missed this so much.

\- Wait, - Tommy brought himself back to reality with a few quick blinks, - The fuck’s ‘Pogtopia’? - He inquired, unconsciously backing away from the ram’s palm. It was most likely due to the mentioning of Wilbur’s name, but Tommy would never admit he was this attached to his older brother, to the point of mindless loyalty. Nevertheless, the name ‘Pogtopia’ sounded genuinely familiar, yet Tommy was not confident why.

\- Wilbur decided to be salty about the exile, so now he’s tryin’ to fuck me over by some revolutionary crap. Nothin’ much, nothin’ I can’t handle. - Schlatt brushed it off without a care, though the confidence in Schlatt’s words was not the main focus, and not even Wilbur’s attempts to take the country back got Tommy’s interest, instead it was the words the President used to emphasize his braveness. Curious, the boy stole a hurried glance at the two individuals in-front of himself, who had a rather surprised emotion painted across them as well. Tommy could not help but grin from the joy he sensed appearing inside of him. 

\- Did I break him or somethin’? - The ram asked once he saw the state Tommy was in, appearing to be concerned. This made the blond’s smile even wider, - Uh, what the fuck? Is his whole face jus’ goin’ to be teeth now? Is he stuck? Tommy, is that a cry for help? Blink twice if it is. - Schlatt was now right in-front of the boy, back slightly bent over to face Tommy properly. Their height difference was not great, not at all, but it was boosted by the formal shoes Schlatt wore, their heels making him a bit taller than usual. 

However, Tommy could not mutter a response out even once he tried to, fanboy-ish squeals leaving his mouth after an attempt. Jschlatt was still puzzled, yet now the ram could tell he had done something good for Tommy’s and his friendship, something that was great to know. While he wished Tommy and him would do something else today, this was progress nonetheless, progress he did not have to anything for. Seems like this would be easier than he originally thought. Though… What befuddled Schlatt more than Tommy’s behavior was the fact he felt genuinely happy at the sight of the kid's smile, happiness he could not explain, for he never experienced this type of it before. 

All that Schlatt knows is that he likes it, and maybe, just maybe, he will go along with the flow of this kid’s chaotic nature.


	4. Chapter 4

The soft somewhat chilly autumn breeze went by the resting blond boy seated on top of the Manbergian White house’s roof. His lanky legs dangled from the edge of the building’s slate, cold blue eyes focused on the dark night’s sky. It looked truly magical, almost unreal if you will. The bright stars twinkled on Earth’s natural ceiling, almost as though attempting to cheer up the teenager with their indescribable beauty. Yet, not even the flaming rocks which were floating in space could put a smile on Tommy’s pale features.

This week was an emotional rollercoaster, to say the least; Tommy could not figure out his and Schlatt’s friendship, if you could even name it that way. At some point Tommy could not help but forget about Wilbur and Tubbo due to the admiration of Jschlatt clouding his mind, and not even a few hours after that he once again felt hatred towards the ram, wishing he went with Wilbur to the land of Pogtopia rather than staying in this hell of a place.

Pogtopia was one weird of a place too though; supposedly it was located somewhere under the ground, since after a long time of searching for any new builds Fundy and Tommy found nothing but small drops of blood here and there. This made the boy concerned for a pretty long time, until the memory of different potions Tubbo knew how to make presented itself in his head. A sigh of relief escaped his mouth at that.

However, Manberg was not doing any better, since Schlatt’s policy was mainly based on total dictatorship. This meant Tommy could not leave the ram’s side for a second, otherwise he would immediately be accused of being a traitor by the supporters of the tyrant. When the blond as little as went to the bathroom multiple pairs of eyes would follow him until he was far enough, and at times he even found some individuals waiting for him to exit the bathroom. It was irritating, for this meant he had absolutely no privacy.

Actually, Tommy was not sure when was the last time he had a break. All he could recall himself doing the past few days was governmental bullshit he was normally left out of by Wilbur. This was not the way he imagined this going if he was fairly honest, and he had to learn a whole new set of skills in order to not get Jschlatt aggravated.

*******

**** _ \- What in the fuck is this, Tom?! - Jschlatt slammed the paperwork Tommy worked on for hours with a loud bashing sound onto the table’s clean surface, - WHAT AM I FUCKIN’ PAYIN’ YOUR ASS FOR?! I CAN’T READ YOUR GODDAMN HANDWRITIN’ FOR SHIT! REWRITE IT NOW, AND WRITE IT SO I CAN ACTUALLY READ IT FOR FUCK’S SAKE! YOU HAVE THIRTY MINUTES, OTHERWISE YOU’RE GONNA’ STAY UP ‘ERE ALL NIGHT WITH QUACKITY UNTIL YOU CAN ACTUALLY WRITE LIKE A PERSON, YOU INCOHERENT IDIOT! - The infuriated ram grabbed all of Tommy’s hard work and tore it to shreds right before the boy’s bawling face, crumpling it up into one paper sphere without a care, just as though he did not see how broken the boy looked after that. Wilbur would never do that to him, Wilbur would have corrected his mistakes politely and with kindness in his eyes instead of irritation, but this was not Wilbur, and Tommy had to remember that. _

_ \- Listen, it’s jus’ the way I write, man, you can’t sue me for it! - The boy defended himself with a few tears rolling down his reddened cheeks, ones he was quick to wipe away using the sleeve of the sweater he wore to this day. Nonetheless, Schlatt did not seem all that impressed with Tommy’s emotionality, his expression shifting into an even less pleased one. _

_ \- For fuck’s sake, Tommy, I hired you ‘ere, so if you do your job, DO IT WITH FULL EFFORT AND DON’T GIVE ME THIS KIND OF CRAP! - The brunet’s eyes darkened, and Tommy could have sworn he saw them gleam with a bright reddish glow. Tommy could not even give Jschlatt a proper answer, for he felt genuinely upset, and not in an anger kind of way, instead he simply felt sad. Unfortunately, due to the War Tommy had to abandon his education for a while, and he wanted to shout that out, yet something inside of his head told him the ram would consider it as a silly excuse. So he did not answer. Instead, he rushed out of the room, ignoring the shocked Quackity that he bumped into in the corridor. _

*******

Those words repeated over and over in Tommy's head for a rather long time, the anger Schlatt expressed causing his breath to hitch each time he replayed the memory. Tommy knew that logically it was not his fault, because he fought for this nation instead of learning grammar - writing was not important after all, only Wilbur did it - so it would be a smart decision for the ram to not give Tommy tasks that would involve actions he did not how to do, but for whatever reason the boy felt guilty for not studying during the War. He could have done more. 

Of course, Tommy was not letting Schlatt crush his confidence with just shouting, the teenager was too stubborn to let the ram toss him around just as though he was a marionette on the strings. The problem was obvious - Tommy had no idea how to properly write, but he could read pretty well, something he had to learn in order to figure out how to cook some potions back in the days. So the boy had a choice between approaching someone for help or figuring things out on his own by reading.

Tommy could already hear the laughter in everyone’s voices if he approached them for something this silly, and he knew well enough Schlatt could not care less, so he had to teach himself - sounds quite easy, yet winning a War sounded that way as well, so the boy did not get too cocky. For now though, all he wished to do was to look upon the glimmering stars, observing each one of them with interest. Albeit they did not bring him joy, they did leave him hoping that everything would change for the best. Deep inside Tommy already knew he would have to study all by himself, in complete solitude due to the lack of people who would be willing to help him.

The world appeared dimmer than usual, the stars seemed less bright, and if someone was to replace the colors with only shades of grey Tommy was not sure he would even notice. He could imagine that grey cloud following him with each step he took, causing him to experience the exhaustion he never did before. This constant feeling of fatigue was bizarre, and Tommy was not sure if he liked it. He felt loneliness, and this time not the same type he remembered when away from people for too long; he suffered from loneliness, despite being surrounded by people.

A familiar soothing melody caught Tommy’s attention, one he could recognize easily after hearing it so many times - it was the same tune Schlatt played on his flute each night. Every single day at around one in the morning Tommy would sneak out of his room to sit on top of the roof - enjoying his privacy - and at around three in the morning Schlatt would exit the building to play the flute. Most of the time it was a sign for Tommy to go to bed, for he had to wake up at six in the morning to avoid being caught by the others, but he would end up staying seated for slightly longer to enjoy the music. 

Not once had the ram noticed Tommy’s presence - which was honestly surprising due to the fact there were a few times when the boy did not even hide - so the kid stopped caring for secrecy, instead finding a comfortable position on the rooftop, preferably seated, since he did not wish to fall asleep there. This time though Tommy felt incredibly exhausted, so he could not prevent his body from finding a cozy spot on the slate, curling up on himself with his sweater serving as the source of the warmth.

The boy’s eyes slowly began to close, and no matter how much he tried to keep them from shutting, the will to sleep was stronger than him. The roof felt as comfortable as the pillow, the dirty blue sweater kept him away from the chilly winds of the night, and the sparkling stars served as a soft night lamp illuminating the objects around him. It felt nice and safe, especially with the music that slowly lulled him to sleep.

Tommy could not tell when the melody ended, or when he was picked up from the cold surface by the familiar arms that carried him all the way down to the ground. His eyes fluttered open at some point with an uncontrollable yawn leaving his lips, to which the individual who held him hushedly said something. Tommy could not decipher what the person was saying, however it made him feel safe for some unexplainable reason. All he saw before falling back asleep were the all familiar horns, and then he passed out completely.

*******

When the boy woke up he found himself in a completely different setting than usual, but he could not say it looked unfamiliar. For whatever reason he was located inside of Schlatt’s office, one that also served as the ram’s room for most of the time, since he barely left the place. There was no bed for obvious reasons, so instead the brunet would end up sleeping on the couch after a long day of partying and working, and Tommy was currently lying in that exact spot, covered by the same fluffy red blanket.

Then Tommy’s eyes traveled to the huge window, and at the realization it was most definitely afternoon, the blond’s heart dropped in fear. The last time Tommy overslept he was almost kicked out of the country, and whilst reuniting with Wilbur did sound quite appealing, he was not an idiot to think Pogtopia would accept him with open arms after he served as Jschlatt’s secretary of state. Just as he was about to stand up from the sofa, the door’s handle was pressed down by someone, forcing Tommy to stay frozen on the spot, already expecting to be scolded.

There stood the slightly tipsy ram - Tommy could tell from the gentle flush covering Schlatt’s skin - holding a multifora in one of his hands and an empty bottle of perfume in the other. The man’s appearance was actually quite messy, as though he ran a marathon just now, and his tie was tossed onto his shoulder instead of being tied like it normally was. It took the brunet some time to notice Tommy, and once he did, surprisingly, a kind smile formed on his face.

\- Hey, kid, how you doin’? You are quite a sleeper, I’ll give you that. - Schlatt casually greeted the confused boy, gently closing the door behind himself until stumbling into the office. The man almost fell over a few times, making Tommy concerned, enough for him to stand up and help Schlatt towards the office chair located beside the table to which the ram quietly thanked him.

\- I’m doin’ fine, but uh- You sure you’re well? ‘S jus’ you seem… I’m gonna’ be honest here, you look like you’re high off your ass, man, fuckin hell. - Tommy questioned with a hint of concern, something he would not be able to explain the existence of. Schlatt merely laughed at the comment, coming close to tipping himself over, which Tommy fortunately took note of and held the back of the seat.

\- Nah, ‘m jus’ drunk. - The brunet explained with full seriousness, - Anyway, get yourself ready, we have shit to do today, people to bully, you get the idea. - The man opened the largest drawer located close to the floor, moving his chair further away from the table for better access. Inside of it was a massive old brown box, and on top of it was a faintly written brand name that Tommy did not recognize.

Jschlatt exposed the contents of the crate, and it was almost filled to the brim with layers of cigars. The ram took out two of them, placing one of them in-between his lips and the other one on top of the table. Tommy’s gaze followed Schlatt’s movements with interest, occasionally glancing back at the cigar on the wooden surface. 

\- Ever smoked one? - The ram asked as he leaned into the chair, throwing his legs over onto the furniture in-front of him. Tommy was aware some did not know his age, and he was completely fine with it, but he did not think he looked old enough to come off as an adult. Or maybe Schlatt thought he was one of those rebellious teenagers who found it cool to drink and smoke before the legal age? The kid was not sure.

\- Not allowed to, I’m not enough of a big man. - Tommy awkwardly answered, hoping he would not have to specify what ‘not enough of a big man’ meant. Schlatt did not appear that surprised, however, his body language did shift, giving Tommy a confirmation the ram was not the kind to give children unhealthy products. Thank God.

\- So you’re an actual child, then? I thought you were jus’ a twink. 

\- What does ‘twink’ mean?

\- Nothin’, nevermind that.

*******

The smoke of Schlatt’s cigar trailed after the two as they made their way down the Prime Path, one Tommy knew like the back of his hand. For a while the smell irritated Tommy’s sensitive nose, but over the time he grew used to the scent and inhaled it without coughing like he did at first. Jschlatt ignored the way Tommy suffered from the gray cloud he exhaled, reminding Tommy that the ram was currently in his serious mood.

It took the boy some time to loosen up while walking side by side with the President, finally deciding to start a conversation. Tommy’s first instinct was to ask Schlatt about his favorite woman, yet it did not take him long to understand the ram would be irritated by such a silly question - even if it was nothing but a comic relief - so instead Tommy chose to ask something more important.

\- Where are we goin’ by the way? I get that we’re doin’ somethin’ important, right? - The boy sped up his pace and turned to face Schlatt, walking with his back facing the direction they were heading into. Jschatt looked unamused, a tired sigh escaping his mouth, followed by the same toxic cloud.

\- Guess you could say that, we need to get you a proper uniform. - Schlatt admired the skies with his bright yellow eyes, which reflected the blue of the firmament with a greenish gleam, - The sweater looks cool an’ all, but we need to get you somethin’ more formal-lookin’. - The man interpreted, explaining what he meant with a tad bit more detail. When the President’s gaze fell on Tommy, the blond came close to tripping on one of the wooden planks, almost causing the ram a heart attack.

\- Oh shit, that was close. - Tommy began to laugh as he twirled back around to face the road, not noticing the way Schlatt let out a sigh of relief, - So we’re gettin’ me a suit then? - Tommy requested for a clarification, receiving a simple nod from the stressed out man beside him. The kid knew very well how to wear those, so it was quite exciting for him, yet at the same time it made him anxious, due to the associations he had with these types of suits - the cold Antarctic wind, the loud propeller of his plane, the sharp diamond sword that entered his chest. Actually, Tommy would rather not remember anything from his past now that he thinks about it.

_ \- I told you, get out of my country! _

_ \- Tommy, you have five seconds to get in the plane or the alliance is off. _

_ \- We can just put a tombstone for him in the water. _

_ \- Oh he’s in iron armor, I think he wants to keep fighting! He’s got a shield and everything! _

_ \- Did not have to come to this sad moment, ladies and gentlemen. _

_ \- They took everything… And now I’m left with nothing and no one. _

_ \- I don’t backstab, I get backstabbed. _

_ \- What’s wrong? Where you goin’? _

_ \- TimeDeo being a weird man - giving a flower to a fifteen year old. _

Tommy almost began to laugh at the last memory, covering his mouth to avoid the loud laughter which bubbled inside of him. Schlatt raised one of his eyebrows at the strange facial expression Tommy presented, to which the teenager faked a cough, his hand forming a fist before his mouth. Jschlatt noticed how unnatural the movements seemed, however, he did not question Tommy’s strange behavior, at least not vocally.

The familiar building was now in the line of sight, and Tommy could feel his excitement grow as they came closer towards the embassy. Tommy had not seen his house in quite a while now, for he was not allowed to leave Manberg without someone else keeping an eye on him. Although, it was rather strange that his ex-idol was going to enter his home, especially since the last time they had a serious moment Schlatt yelled at him for about an hour.

Once they stepped into the building, Tommy could see Nihachu seated on top of one of the chests, holding a special set for measuring, as well as a small piece of paper she clutched into with such strength it was obvious she was furious. The blond stopped on his spot, yet Schlatt did not give him time to hesitate by placing his hand on Tommy’s back and pushing him further into the house.

\- Nihachu. - Schlatt greeted the female with a stern look, his hand now placed on Tommy’s shoulder in a protective manner. The air was tense around them, almost suffocating - at least to Tommy it was. Niki simply stared back at the ram, her eyes unusually cold and filled with hatred.

\- Schlatt. 

\- I would say it’s nice to see you, but that’d be bullshit. - The corners of Schlatt’s lips tugged upwards, creating an arrogant smirk on his darkened features, his alarmingly menacing figure looming over both Niki and Tommy. There was no definitive threat that Schlatt presented combat wise, still, the man’s voice visibly made Nihachu distressed. Tommy would be a liar if he said Schlatt did not make him feel uneasy when he was contemplative or enraged, but for an odd reason the boy sensed himself getting used to the ram’s mood swings, enough to find Nihachu’s fear hilarious, and even a tad enjoyable.

\- Let’s just get this over with. - Nihachu gloomily muttered out, slowly climbing off the double chests with the most dissatisfied facial expression Tommy ever saw. With how much Nihachu had been whining it was delightful to witness her this unhappy, Tommy could not even suppress a sneer. Each day Tommy, as one of the lowest members of Jschlatt’s cabinet, would have to sit and listen to Niki complain about the President’s wrong doings, for she kept following him around just as though she was a lost puppy. Tommy was guessing it was because of his and Wilbur’s relations, but it could also be due to the boy being the only available person who Niki used to consider as a friend in the past.

\- And make sure it’s the same fabric as mine, if it’s even a shade deeper you’ll be the first one on the SMP to find out if hell exists. - President warned her while examining his tough nails, ones that served him as hoofs. Leaning against the wall, he studied the room more thoroughly as Tommy was told by Nihachu to lift his arms up for measurement. This, Tommy was guessing, would be one of the most awkward experiences in his entire life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had to cut the chapter short, because the next one is planned to be very long. Sorry!


End file.
